COUNCIL BLUFFS – Berkley Bedell, who served western Iowa in the U. S. House of Representatives for 12 years, will serve as General Chairman of the Hubler for Congress Committee, it was announced today by the Hubler campaign.

Bedell, who founded Berkley and Company in Spirit Lake in 1945 after returning from World War II, will join Hubler on Wednesday on a six-city swing the campaign is calling the “Bringing Back Real Representation Tour.”  Hubler, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Iowa’s 5th district, has used “Real Representation” as his campaign slogan.

Their tour will include stops at Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Denison, Storm Lake, Le Mars and Sioux City.

“I am thrilled that Berkley has volunteered to assume this important leadership role in our campaign,” Hubler said, in making the announcement.  “No congressman in Iowa’s history better exemplifies the spirit of our representative democracy” than Bedell, he added, pointing to the former congressman’s record of holding regular “open-door” town hall meetings with constituents to ascertain their viewpoints.

Bedell, who served in the House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, said he prided himself on the teamwork that existed during his tenure among citizens of all political persuasions to accomplish important objectives for the district.  “I would like to see this district returned to where we work together as a team again and discuss our differences in a civil manner,” Bedell said.

“I believe that Rob Hubler will help restore the people’s faith in Congress that has been lost because of extreme partisanship that his opponent has helped to fuel,” he added.  “Rob gives us a chance to return to those times when we debate issues, but then put aside our differences and work as a team for the good of the whole district,” he said.

Along with the Bedell appointment, the Hubler campaign announced that Sioux City attorney Al Sturgeon, a former state senator, and Linda Nelson, a teacher and former state legislator from Carter Lake, have been named Co-Chairs.

“I am grateful to have the support of Al and Linda, who have both served the people of western Iowa with great distinction,” said Hubler.  Sturgeon served three terms in the Iowa House and two terms in the Iowa Senate, a total of 14 years.  He founded the Al Sturgeon Law Firm in 1991.  Nelson, a fourth grade teacher at Carter Lake Elementary School in Council Bluffs, recently completed two terms as president of the Iowa State Education Association.

The schedule for the “Bringing Back Real Representation Tour,” which will include a press availability at each location, on Wednesday, Sept. 3, is as follows:

COUNCIL BLUFFS – 8:00 a.m.

Pottawattamie County Democratic Headquarters, 722 Creek Top

ATLANTIC – 9:45 a.m.

Farmer’s Kitchen, 319 Walnut St.

DENISON – 11:45 a.m.

Cronk’s Restaurant (Black Angus Room), 812 4th Ave. S.

STORM LAKE – 1:45 p.m.

Buena Vista County Democratic Headquarters, 805 Flindt Dr., Suite 2

LE MARS – 3:15 p.m.

Lally’s Eastside Café, 125 Plymouth St. N. E.

SIOUX CITY – 4:15 p.m.

Woodbury County Democratic Headquarters, 506 Nebraska

Our congressman, Mr. King, may be a fine gentleman, but he and I do not agree with how a congressman should represent the people. It breaks my heart that the team effort I felt existed when I was in Congress does not appear to me to exist here today.

It will surprise no one that as a Democrat I am supporting King’s opponent, Rob Hubler, but I do it for more than just party politics. I do it because I would like to see this district returned to where we work together as a team again, discuss any differences, and not fight with each other as to what is in the press.